


No Nine Lives

by Taco_Fapper



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Multi, No Smut, yea boiii
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-09-29 20:36:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10143482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taco_Fapper/pseuds/Taco_Fapper
Summary: She didn't know.She didn't know he would stop coming back.And now she's left to deal with the aftermath.I'm officially adding the tag that it's an Alternative Universe but everything is the same up until season two (looking at you Chloe redemption arc that i'm hoping for)





	1. The Battle

It was another battle. One of a countless number. She didn't think much of it. Neither did Chat. They just suited up and ran in. No plan, no real worry about the akuma. It was just another day in the city of Paris. 

As the citizens grew accustomed to attacks, so did the hereos of Paris. Ladybug and Chat Noir worked together like a well-oiled machine. No errors, no misunderstandings, no shouting plans to one another. They had grown to anticipate each others commands even if it was Ladybug commanding most of the time. This attack was no different. At least in the beginning. Ladybug hung back while Chat rushed right in, his body moving quick and agile, his baton swinging gracefully at the akuma.

The akuma barely dodged each swing, focusing more on an inscription on the far wall. She began to chant, dark energy flowing around her like a liquid curtain. Chat scampered back to Ladybug nervously, he wasn't sure what was going on. The akuma was glowing purple and her eyes were a pure white. It was terrifying. "My name is Dream Crusher! And you! Shall! Be! Crushed!" She screamed, throwing one arm out dramatically, dark energy shooting from her palm.

It hit neither of the heroes but it was enough to jolt them back into action. Ladybug made eye contact with Chat. Chat nodded in return and darted towards Dream Crusher's right while Ladybug moved to the left. Dream Crusher, predictably, moved towards Chat; who was coming in much faster than Ladybug. Dream Crusher threw wave after wave towards Chat, who blocked or doged every hit. Almost. 

Chat went down with a scream and just as Ladybug was going to unleash her fury on the akuma, he popped back up. "Nothing to worry about m'lady. I'm purrfectly fine. The suit blocked it." He smiled, looked towards Ladybug, paled.

"My-my lady?" He asked softly, as Dream Crusher cackled.

Ladybug was confused, to say the least. Why did Chat look so heartbroken? His green eyes were watering and his usual playful smirk was nowhere in sight. What was wrong with the alley cat? She didn't-couldn't think too long about it, she suddenly had to block the attacks coming from Dream Crusher. The villian was completely ignoring Chat, not like he was doing anything. He was just standing, looking like someone had killed a kitten. "A little help here would be nice!" Ladybug shouted, blocking another wave of dark, purplish energy. She was getting pissed. What  _was_ his problem?

Chat's head snapped towards her voice and he started to run towards her, tears starting to fall. At least he was  _moving_. He came right to where Dream Crusher and Ladybug were fighting and Dream Crusher turned towards him. She flicked her wrist, a small bolt of pure electricty coming from the tip of her finger. It hit Chat square in the chest and instantly he was gone. Ladybug screamed. Not her partner. Never him. Not after everything they'd been through.

She threw herself at the akuma, fury boiling in her veins. She gave everything she got but she couldn't best the akuma. She needed Chat. She needed his quick feet and his even quicker attacks. She rolled behind a large crate, hoping to gain a reprieve. She caught her breath and just as she was moving to swing back out, a black-clad hand grabbed her red one. She turned to punch the stranger when she saw familiar green eyes.

"Chat? But how? I saw you-I saw you disappear!" She said, relief coursing through her body.

"I'm just happy to see you alive. I got hit and when I got back up I saw you on the ground. You weren't moving. I tried to move towards you when I heard you call out but then everything went black. What happened?" Chat responded.

"I never was on the ground." Ladybug started, confused. "Wait! I've got it! Dream Crusher shows your worst nightmare or something along those lines. You got hit and saw me dead or hurt. Then, when she shocked you..." Here Ladybug trailed off.

"What?" Chat asked, glancing for a second of the crate to check Dream Crusher's location.

"Well, I don't know but at least you're still here. Come on. I think I have an idea." 

And into battle they charged.

* * *

 

It had been four hours. Four tortuous hours of constant fighting. They tried to keep the akuma confined. They really did, but after an hour they had to get out of the building. Then, they had to protect the civilians. Sure, the buildings would be repaired after lucky charm but they didn't want to risk lives. They were tired, they were strung out,and they were wore thin.

But, that wasn't the worst part. No, the worst part would have to be watching Chat disappear and then reappear later. Each time, Ladybug didn't know if it would be his last. So far she had counted seven or maybe it was eight times that Chat had seemingly died only to come back.

Finally, they had discovered a weakness. Dream Crusher only truly tried to hit Chat. They didn't know why. At this point they didn't care. All they needed was for her to be distracted and for Ladybug to get an easy lucky charm. Chat dodged another electrical zap and scampered behind a dumpster. Ladybug swung next to him a moment later. "Chat. I'm going to do lucky charm now. I need you to distract her really well this time. We're almost done." Ladybug whispered, her chest heaving from exhaustion.

"M'lady, I'll do this forever if it means I get to see your dreamy eyes." Chat responded, but it was lacking flirt or even humour. He was just as tired as her.

Chat charged out, his baton ready and his cat ears twitching. Dream Crusher turned, saw Chat and cackled. She raised both arms and started to chant. Chat didn't let this deter him. He was tired, his lady was tired, and he just wanted this to be  _done_. He heard Ladybug shout lucky charm and moved in a circle around the akuma, trying to get her back to Ladybug.The akuma turned just as planned but what wasn't planned was the two-handed blast of electricity from the woman. Usually it was a fingertip or two. Instead, Chat had to block ten powerful blasts. If the battle had just started he would have blocked them, no problem. As it was though, Chat was too slow. The last three hit him and he disappeared.

Ladybug sucked in a breath, silently yearning for Chat to come back as she searched the street for a way to use her lucky charm along if she had to. She found one quickly and approached Dream Crusher. Unfortunately, Chat had yet to appear again but Ladybug couldn't wait for him. She had to do this and do it  _now_. She swung and kicked and punched and finally got the akumized object in her hand. It was a small dream catcher necklace. She crushed it quickly and cleansed the butterfly. She threw her lucky charm and prayed to gods known and unknown that Chat would show up. 

He did, just not consciously. He appeared on the ground and at first Ladybug thought maybe he just didn't want to get up. She walked over, shaked his shoulder. Nothing. She was getting nervous. She slapped his cheek, she checked for breathing. She couldn't feel it. She tried to feel for a pulse. She couldn't feel one but the leather was blocking her. She tried to slapping him again. Still, nothing. She started to panic. People were coming over; some in concern, some in awe of the super duo. She didn't care. The reporters came. She ignored them. Alya came. She ignored her.

Her Chat.  _Her_ _kitty._ Her partner was gone. And she didn't know how to bring him back. 

At that she broke down sobbing. Someone called someone and soon paramedics came and took Chat away. She tried to ride in the back of the ambulance but they wouldn't let her. The police took her though. They went to the hospital and waited for the doctors to tell them anything. Anything at all. She didn't care what, as long as he was alive.

 


	2. The Hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LB is at the hospital with Chat. How will this work?

The doctors let her in after a couple of nervous minutes. She thought that meant it everything was fine. She was wrong. Chat laid on a hospital operating bed/table. His suit was still on, his eyes still closed. He wasn't moving except for his chest rising and falling ever so slightly. The doctors all stood around, looking shocked, confused, and unsure. She glanced around the room trying to understand the problem.

Why weren't the helping Chat? Why were they just  _standing_ there? He could be dying! He could- 

A doctor spoke up. "We can't get his suit off. We need to get it off to see what wrong. The suit is blocking all knowledge of blood, heartbeat, and other things. All we can see is that he is still breathing and quite shallowly. Please tell me you know how to get it off."

"I don't know how to get it off. I mean, I know how to get mine off but Chat will definitely have different words to get his transformation to go away." Ladybug responded. Suddenly a loud beep broke the tense atmosphere in the room.

"Oh! Chat's miraculous. It must be counting down. He has about two minutes till he changes back. Then you should be able to help him. Right? You'll help him?" Ladybug said, almost desperately.

"Yes, we'll help him. That's our first priority. But now that we have the problem of getting his suit off solved, we have another problem. If Chat is a minor, we need to contact his guardian to be able to do certain procedures. Now, do you know if Chat is a minor?" The same doctor asked.

"I'm pretty sure he is. I mean, I am and Chat says he's too young to go off on his own so I think so." Ladybug said. Another beep sounded through the room. "That's a minute left." She told the doctors.

They started to move, rushing to get medical equipment together. The doctor talking to Ladybug turned to give orders. Ladybug just stood there staring at Chat's masked face. Should she stay to see his transformation? She never wanted to find out this way but what if he wasn't okay? What if he had to stay here for more than a couple hours? She wouldn't be able to visit him. She didn't want to leave him here. What-

The doctor broke her out of her thoughts with another question. "Do you know his legal guardian?" He asked.

"No. I don't even know who he is under the mask." She said sadly. The doctor looked at her surprised.

"You don't? But with how close you two are..." He trailed off as a bright green light started to pierce the room. The transformation had started.

Chat's sleek black boots changed into orange converses. His black bottoms turned into designer jeans that almost immediately started getting soaked with blood. His black tail disappeared. His black top changed into a familiar jacket shirt ensemble that also quickly got soaked with blood. Ladybug had seen enough. Enough blood. Enough familiar clothes. She started sobbing. For not only was her partner hurt and critically so but Adrien Agreste was too.

The love of her life and her most trusted companion were the same person. And he was unconscious and in the operation room. Ladybug was kicked out pretty quickly, the doctors getting down to business. A helpful nurse guided her back to the waiting room. A bunch of reporters were waiting but they were banned quickly.

Ladybug shakily sat down in one of the waiting chairs and put her head in her hands. How? How did she not see it before? They had the same hair and eye colour for god's sake! And now he might die. And she would have never said anything. Never would have told Adrien she loved him and never told Chat she trusted him more than anyone.

She cried harder. She couldn't lose him. She couldn't lose  _both_ of him. She would surely shatter if he died. She couldn't imagine living a life without Adrien's quiet, yet earnest smiles or Chat's terrible, yet clever, puns. She needed both of them in her life more than she needed to breathe. No matter how melodramatic it seemed.

A few hours passed with no news. Ladybug was forced to leave because she knew Tikki was getting exhausted. She had just decided to leave when she saw Gabriel Agreste rush in. He looked nothing like his typical, professional image. Instead of a calm, collected and aloof fashion designer; the man was practically wild. His hair was wild mess, his suit askew, and his eyes frantic. Ladybug was surprised. She didn't know he cared all that much. She left anyways though. Tikki needed a break. 

She swung and ran through Paris, eyes rimmed with red and movements shaky. Crying for hours had exhausted the teenage heroine not to mention fighting for hours beforehand. She reached her parents' bakery and landed heavily atop the roof. With a heavy heart she released her transformation and started crying anew as Marinette.

Marinette dropped into her room and Tikki followed. "Marinette, I'm sure he's fine." Tikki said, trying to comfort.

Marinette sniffled a little and tried to smile at her kwami. "Th-thanks, Tikki for trying to help but what if he's not! There was so much blood. And he wasn't awake! And what about his kwami! What if the doctors can't save him! I'll lose both my kitty and the love of my life!" Marinette practically wailed. 

Tikki couldn't reply. What if the boy couldn't be saved? Plagg always tried to stay distant from his chosen as they tended to die bloody deaths but what if he opened his heart to the boy? Plagg would be devastated. And Marinette? She was already like this even without the boy dying. If he didn't survive she would be even worse and Hawkmoth might actually win. And then the whole world would fall. Tikki tried to comfort her chosen as best as she could. Offering comforting, sweet words and slowly stroking Marinette's hair until the girl eventually succumbed to her exhaustion and fell asleep. Tikki curled up next to the girl's head and tried to sleep as well. She just prayed that the next time the girl woke, Tikki could tell her something happy.


	3. Gabriel Agreste

The steady beeping of a heart monitor echoes throughout a hospital room. The gloomy atmosphere sets a stage for tragedy. The motionless form of Adrien Agreste lays in a white hospital bed; sheets carefully covering him. Gabriel Agreste; top fashion designer, millionaire, and a bit of a recluse- sleeps in a hospital chair. He's waiting for his son to wake up.

A nurse walks in and carefully checks Adrien's vitals. As she moves around the room, Gabriel slowly wakes up. He looks around the room; a little befuddled, a little worried. The nurse smiles reassuringly at him and he relaxes slightly into the chair. But not much. His back is still tense and his hands shake subtly. His clothes are terribly rumpled and his hair is a disheveled mess. Ultimately, Gabriel looks like a near-broken man. The nurse leaves the room quietly and Gabriel sighs in relief. "Hello, Adrien. I don't know if you can hear me but, I'm here. I'm so sorry. Sorry for confining you to the house. Sorry for pulling away from you. Sorry for your mother missing. Sorry for you being hurt." Gabriel breaks then, his words cracking and his eyes watering.

Adrien remains motionless; only his chest moving ever so slightly up and down. Oblivious to his father's words and anguish. Gabriel moves the chair forward, closer to his son and grabs his right hand. He reaches forward and brushes some of the blond hair out of Adrien's closed eyes. Gabriel soaks in his son's appearance; noting the dark, purplish circles under his eyes and the beginnings of sharp cheekbones. Adrien is far too thin. Gabriel sighs, a small tear slipping down his cheek. He already lost his wife, he doesn't want to lose his son. Although, he muses, he lost him around the same time he lost his wife. The door opens and a head peeks through. "Mr-Mr. Agreste?" A shy voice says.

"Yes?" Gabriel replies, looking up. 

"I came to see Adrien. The doctors said he wasn't doing well but they wouldn't tell us what was wrong with him. Is he alright?" The girl-Marinette, Gabriel recalls- asks.

"I'm afraid I don't know. You can come in." He says, shifting slightly away from his son.

Marinette nearly falls forward in her haste to get to the hospital bed. She loosely grabs Adrien's other hand and presses a kiss to his knuckles. Gabriel watches silently. "Is he asleep?" She asks nervously, almost afraid of the answer.

"No, he's in a coma. They don't know when he'll come out." Gabriel replies, his voice surprisingly steady.

"Oh." Marinette says and then breaks off into a choked sob.

Gabriel awkwardly places a hand on her shoulder. "The doctors won't tell me about how he got hurt. Do you know anything?" He asks. He had seen her earrings, he knew she was Ladybug. Maybe she saw him get hurt in the akuma attack.

"No, I don't." Marinette replied but Gabriel saw the guilt in her eyes. She knew something.

But, Gabriel didn't press. He was more worried about his son waking up, not pressuring a girl. He retracted his hand and left the room, leaving Marinette alone with Adrien.

* * *

"Hey, Adrien," Marinette said once Gabriel left the room. "I guess you're Chat Noir, huh. Man, I was so stupid. Always rejecting Chat's or I guess your advances because I was in love with you. Now, it's too late. My best friend, don't tell Alya, is you. And my only love is also you. People always tell you to marry your best friend so the irony is pretty strong here, isn't it? Everything else in Paris got fixed; I don't know why you didn't. Hawkmoth hasn't sent out any akumas but then again, it's only been about two days." Marinette smiled down at Adrien. "Everyone's missed you, you know. The whole class has made cards and everything for you but they haven't brought them yet. Nino's just been devastated and I have been too. Please come back to us. We need you.  _I_ need you." Marinette broke a little at the words and began to turn away. A black blob suddenly darts out from under Adrien's bed.

"Help! Please! You've gotta help!" The blob says, it's bright green eyes pleading.

"I-I can't! What even are you?" Marinette asks in surprise.

"I'm Adrien's kwami. Please, you've gotta wake him up!" The blob says.

"Didn't you hear me? I can't! I want to but I can't! Adrien is in a coma and I can't fix that.  _Ladybug_ can't fix that! I've already tried!" Marinette practically yelled in frustration.

"Marinette you need to calm down," Tikki's voice came placating from beside her. "And Plagg, stop asking for things we can't do." Tikki turned to the black kwami.

"You don't understand Tikki. Adrien, without his transformation, is not protected from the power of Dream Crusher. He is constantly dreaming nightmares and I think that eventually he'll go insane from it." Plagg responded, desperately.

"Oh no! I didn't think about that. Plagg's right Marinette. We need to get Adrien help!" Tikki cried.

"But how?! I don't know anything about getting people out of comas and how are we going to get the hold of Dream Crusher off of Adrien?" Marinette replied.

"Plagg and I know someone. He's-" At that moment, Tikki was cut off by the sound of an opening door. Both kwamis disappeared into Marinette purse as she turns around.

"Marinette? Who were you talking to? Was it Adrien?" Gabriel asks, hope in his sharp features.

"N-no. Sorry. I was just talking to him or I guess myself since he can't hear me." Marinette replied nervously, the reality of the situation sinking in. Adrien probably wasn't going to wake up soon and Chat wasn't going to tease her with puns soon either. She had pretty much lost the two most important people in her life. And she was alone except for two kwamis that weren't even human. "I'm, I'm just going to leave. I'm sorry." She choked out and left the room. 

She tore down the hospital hallways with a hand clapped over her mouth to muffle her sobs. She made her way out of the hospital and was greeted with the stricken faces of Nino, Alya, and all of her other classmates. "How is he?" Came one voice. "Is he okay?" Came another. "Is Adrikins going to live?" Came Chloe's sharp voice. "Marinette! Are you okay? Is Adrien okay?" Came Alya's.

"He-he's in a coma." Marinette said, tears streaming freely down her face. Her classmates looked heartbroken. Everyone adored Adrien. Tears started flowing and for once, the entire class was united. United in grief. They hugged and cried into each other's shoulders and tried to let the waves of grief not wash them away.

Eventually they dispersed. Everyone walked away; numb, emotionless. They had no more emotions left to give. They had been all cried out for now. They didn't want to face tomorrow; they didn't even want to face the rest of today. The sun was beginning to set and Paris was beginning to light up. However, for the class of Miss Bustier, everything was beginning to shut down. 

Unbeknownst to them, Hawkmoth was watching. He desperately wanted to use their grief but he couldn't. They had already been akumatized and therefore he couldn't use them again. He didn't like reusing. He tried to send an akuma to the dark-haired girl; she seemed the most vulnerable but he couldn't. "Nooroo! Why can't I akumatize this girl?!" He demanded, the small kwami shaking in fear.

"I-I don't know. You should be able to akumatize anyone. But Master, akuma's aren't supposed to be used for evil." Nooroo replied, trying to be brave.

"You've already told me that!" Hawkmoth snarled.

"Yes, Master." Nooroo replied, bowing his head in submission.


	4. Adrien

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien's mind. Also, Nino's a pretty cool friend.

Adrien was terribly lost. And also pretty confused. It was dark but he was still capable of sight. Like midnight but Adrien knew it wasn't. He didn't know where he was. It was almost as if he was disconnected from everything. Just smooth darkness all around. Then, things started to appear. The figure of his mother stepped out of the darkness, her kind smile striking a pang of hurt inside of Adrien. He knew his mother was gone. He didn't know why this was happening but he knew that this wasn't real. But he couldn't help it. He missed his mother. Missed her so much. She made the Agreste family; a family. No matter how aloof, cold, or callous his father was; he  _knew_ that Gabriel loved his mother. And that had made Gabriel a better person, a better father. "Mother?" He called and started to move forward.

She continued to smile and stretched out her arms. Adrien ran forward but just as he reached her, she faded like mist in a sunrise. "Mother!" He cried, mind flashing back to the day she disappeared. The pain washed through him anew. 

He turned in circles desperately searching for her. He started to run toward the right when he saw the flash of golden hair in the stretching darkness. "Mother! Stop!" He cried, desperately reaching out towards her.

He fell.

Not hard but enough to knock him back to his senses. His mother wasn't here, wherever here was. She wasn't even at home. She was gone. He stop, pulled himself up into a sitting position and thought. Adrien knew he was smart and knew that whatever he was in had something to do with Dream Catcher. He just had to find a way out. He started to walk forward and eventually reached an area of the vast expanse of darkness that seemed to be lighter, closer to a dark grey rather than a midnight black. He tried to find a reason for the difference in light. The small area was lit by a dim light bulb attached to nothing. Just faint enough to not notice, just bright enough to make a difference. He picked it up carefully and held it out in front of him. The lightness of the area didn't move or change. He walked a couple steps forward and then turned around. The area from before was still grey and the area he just walked was now grey as well. "Finally I'm getting somewhere." He muttered to himself. 

If he could get the place he was in lighter, he could see if the expanse was infinite or if it was a certain size. He began to walk.

* * *

Nino looked down at his best friend. Adrien was sleeping or at least it looked like it. His eyes were shut and his breathing seemed fairly regular. Nino wasn't a doctor, he didn't know what to look for. "Hey dude. So, I just came by to say hey." Nino began awkwardly, "I'm surprised your dad let me in but he's actually been pretty great. Not that I'm forgiving him for not allowing you to have a birthday party. But, you know, just come back to us and stuff."

Nino patted his friends shoulder and turned to leave. A man was standing at the door. Old and wizened the man walked in slowly, leaning heavily on a cane. "Is this Adrien Agreste's room?" The old man asked, his voice strong.

"Um yeah but how'd you get in? Adrien's isn't gettin' any visitors that his dad doesn't approve." Nino replied, assessing the man. He certainly didn't  _look_ like a threat.

"Oh yes, I know. Gabriel and I... you could say we're old friends." The old man smiled. Nino didn't believe him.

"Yeah, sure. I doubt that. Look man, Adrien's in a coma and if your paparazzi just get out. You're not getting anything while the dude's laid up in a bed." Nino angrily replied.

"I assure you I am not paparazzi but perhaps you are right. I should come back when Adrien is awake." The man replied. He bowed to Nino which Nino found unsettlingly and walk out slowly, still leaning heavily on his cane.

 "Even if that dude wasn't paparazzi, I didn't know him so he sure as hell isn't getting near you. No one knows why you're in this coma, the doctors won't tell but I'm still gonna protect you from any crazy people." Nino looked down at Adrien, "It's all gonna be fine. We'll find some way to help you out."

Nino sits down in a hospital chair and pulls out his phone. He presses a couple of times on the screen and some music starts playing. "So yeah, I made these beats the other day and I was gonna show them to you before.....but I guess I'll play them for you now." 

Nino nodded his head along to the beat. He wasn't too great at talking but his music was his way of expressing and he wanted to help Adrien as much as he could. If that meant playing some unfinished tracks then that's what he would do. 

Time passed and Nino grew bored. He was sad, yeah, but he was a teenager and teenagers get bored fast. "Adrien, my bro, my bestest friend. I'm going crazy over here. Just wake up already, you know." Nino sighed, "Okay, I'm going to go look for some food. I'll be back. Gorilla should protect you if anyone else tries to come in."

Nino got up and left. Adrien remained still. He was in a coma after all. 

As Nino walked down the hallway he noticed a weight in his bag. He had left it by the room's door and didn't remember being this heavy when he had dropped it off. Nino didn't think too much about it though. He was hungry and tired; worn out for being constantly worried. He rounded the corner to the vending machine and started rummaging through his pocket for either loose change or his wallet. He found neither. He sighed, dropped his bag, and knelt to go through it. That's when he found it. The little, inconspicuous, black box. Nino opened it carefully, inside was a bracelet. Nino fingered it lightly, not knowing if it was fragile or not. It didn't seem to be, the strange string? fabric? that held it together seemed tough and the turtle was some sort of stone. Nino placed it back into the box and closed the lid. He didn't want to deal with whatever the bracelet was; he just wanted to get some crappy vending machine food and get back to Adrien. He turned to the vending machine just when a loud beeping started up.

Nino quickly chose an option and grabbed the food and bag before running back to Adrien's room. No one else was on the hall so it had to have come from there. He rounded the corner of the door frame and was quickly pushed aside as nurses rushed into the room. Adrien was convulsing on the bed; his arms, legs, and head thrashing. The heart monitor was going crazy and the nurses were more focused on injecting medicine and preventing the needles from ripping out than they were about a young man in the corner.

Eventually they administered a light sedative and Adrien fell limp against the bed. "What was that?" Nino asked, scared. The nurses looked over sadly.

"We're not sure. You'll have to talk to the doctors to find out more. Although, you might want to contact Mr. Agreste to tell him." And with that they swept out, closing the door softly behind them.

"Dude. Whatever's going on, I'm sorry."

 


	5. Head Scans and Veiled Insults

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien gets some head scans and Nino gets hooked up with some turtle powers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel agreste was a piece of shit because this goddamn site won't save my fucking chapter and I've rewritten it like 5 times and goddamn pandora's shitty ads make me literally want to die. Like honestly if i have to hear goddamn "mike" say his fucking haiku for goddamn wish one more time I'm going to find him and kill him because its just that annoying.

Gabriel Agreste paced anxiously inside of his son's empty hospital room. Adrien was getting head scans because he had had two more episodes since the first one. It had Gabriel far too long to get to the hospital. Most of this was due to his hectic work schedule, made worse by Adrien's coma and Gabriel's resulting devastation. The Agreste family had a history of strange disappearances (most of them came back soon though) and odd diseases. It didn't help that the media was going crazy over everything. Rumors were flying and the rich were avoiding Gabriel. It was really grating on his already sensitive nerves. He began to pace faster.

Just then a doctor came in. "Mr. Agreste?" The man asked, striding confidently over.

"Yes?" Gabriel replied, stopping and looked expectantly at the man.

"Adrien's brain shows a few anomalies. His cerebral cortex is overworking itself, seemingly constantly. His brain is firing of messages that seem to be the trigger of his 'episodes'." Gabriel looked blankly at the doctor. He was a fashion designer, not a doctor. He never really was good at science. The doctor noticed. "Um...so basically Adrien is in some sort of nightmare world, or at least to him he is. And it's his brain's fault. Because of this, his brain is severely confused and so it goes into a sort of seizure. This may or may not be the reason for his coma; we just don't know yet. We may have to do more tests."

"Oh...okay." Gabriel replied, still a little confused. All he got was that his child was having seizures and constant nightmares. The doctor nodded and left. Gabriel was left for a few minutes alone. No side glances from people he worked with nor harping questions from the press. Just him, an empty bed, and the slight sound of people walking in the hall. It was peaceful. Or at least, as peaceful as it could be when your world is falling down around you. Which really isn't peaceful at all. 

Gabriel sighted and sat down on the edge of the hospital bed. It was impeccably made which made Gabriel smile sadly. Adrien never had a made bed; it was always blankets on the floor, pillows strewn around and Adrien hanging half off. Just like his mother. Gabriel was the odd one out. Always stoic in his waking and sleeping moments. He got up and left. He couldn't be there much longer. He didn't want to cry in public. He didn't want to cry at all.

He got in his car and Gorilla drove him away. Away from his son, away from the pain. What irony. He was usually pushing away not running away but hey, you should do everything at least once, right?

* * *

 Nino was done with life. His best friend was laid up in the hospital, his sort of girlfriend wasn't replying to his texts, and now he's got some weird looking box in his bag. He just wanted to sleep but noooooooo, his curiosity wanted him to check out the bracelet some more. Nino sighed and got up from his bed. He went over and grabbed the box and opened the lid once more. The bracelet was still there, exactly the same as it was hours before. He shrugged and put it on. Immediately a green light flashed through the air and a small figure did as well. "What the hell?!" Nino exclaimed before clapping a hand over his mouth. 

His parents were asleep and he  _really_ didn't want to wake them up. He eyed the lime green insect looking thing. It eyed him right back. "Wh-what are you?" Nino asked.

"My name is Wayzz. I am your kwami." The thing-Wayzz- replied, flitting a little closer to Nino's face.

"Um sure, okay. That's cool, I guess. I have a kwami now...whatever that means." Nino replied, gulping a little, freaking out a lot more.

"A kwami is a miraculous user's guide mostly. Some of us choose to be friends with our users while others are more distant." Wayzz said calmly, trying to soothe Nino's obviously frayed nerves.

"Oh cool...that's cool. Wait. What's a miraculous?" Nino asked, curiosity besting his internal freak out. 

"A miraculous is a special thing bestowed on someone that we-the kwami- choose. Mostly, it's just a feeling. A feeling that this person is the right person for us. More recently my old master, Master Fu, has been in charge of giving the miraculous to their chosen. He, along with my agreement, gave my miraculous to you. You were chosen." Wayzz responded sagely.

"Oh. Oh man, does this mean I'm a superhero or something? Is this what Ladybug and Chat Noir have? Kwamis and miraculouses? Is that a word? Miraculouses? It feels like a word." Nino asked, starting to feel excited instead of freaked out. He had the chance to be a superhero!

"Yes, this does mean you are, for lack of a better word, a superhero. The reason I changed from being a passive kwami/miraculous is because Chat Noir is out of commission for a while. No, I will not tell you why." Wayzz quickly said when Nino opened his mouth. "Not only will that reveal his identity but it will also not be the most emotionally healthy news for you at this time." He added.

Nino raised an eyebrow. Now he was even more curious. "Okay so if I'm a superhero what are my powers? Like Chat's got cataclysm and Ladybug has lucky charm, what do I get? Is it something cool?" Nino was practically vibrating with curiosity and excitement.

Wayzz sighed. It looks like he got another crazy miraculous holder. "The turtle miraculous is more of a defensive or heavy duty miraculous. It is meant to protect the ladybug and black cat miraculous holders. You get an invincible bubble. It encircles you and one other miraculous user. It makes you impervious to any attack whether psychical or mental from anyone. It can last for up to five minutes but you can mentally call for it to release. Of course if you use it, you only have five minutes until you change back as well. You can call it into action by shouting 'bubble up'," Nino snorted and Wayzz shot him a look. "Yes, I do realize how ridiculous it might sound to you but it wasn't my choice," Wayzz sniffed haughtily. "It was my first owner's choice. He was a bit eccentric, much like you."

"Hey was that an insult?!" Nino pouted. Not even ten minutes into being a superhero and his kwami was insulting him. Just his luck.

Wayzz didn't reply and instead started zipping around Nino's room. Muttering all the while, Wayzz finally made his way back to Nino's face. "I'm going to need to get my things from Master Fu. I need you to take me and this will also be a good opportunity for you to test out your new abilities."

"Oh, okay. Wait! Where does Master Fu live and how to I transform?" 

"Master Fu lives quite far but don't fret, I will lead you there. You transform by saying, 'Shell on'." Wayzz responded.

"Okay then. Wayzz, Shell on!" Nino said excitedly and the transformation began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to point out that I have like no real medical knowledge so anything I write about what's wrong with Adrien is a guess at best. If you notice anything that's either not possible or plausible please tell me.


	6. Life is Rough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Hawkmoth and the fashion industry are actually having a pretty rough time.

The days were cooling off and the general public was mostly content. Wonderful for the police and government; terrible for a super-villain that preyed upon those in weak emotional states. Hawkmoth let out a displeased sound that was  _definitely_ not a groan because super-villains do not groan. It was nearly one in the morning and Hawkmoth wasn't nearly drunk enough for this. He took a gulp of his just straight up vodka and tried to tune Nooroo out. He was getting very good at it.

Nooroo was not the most companionable kwami; mainly because of his constant worrying. It was enough to drive a good person insane. And well, for a bad person? It was even worse. Hawkmoth was _this close_ to saying 'fuck it!' and giving up on getting absolute power as long as it got him away from Nooroo's worrying. It was just constant, 'oh master, the miraculous really shouldn't blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.' It was annoying but most of all it was pathetic. At least from Hawkmoth's view.

Apparently Nooroo had exhausted himself because his chatter abruptly tapered off. Hawkmoth looked over, relief on his masked face. "Are you done?" He drawled.

Nooroo had the sense to look scared and flit to a dark shadow of the room. Hawkmoth sighed. The villian business was slow and definitely didn't pay the bills. And since he definitely wasn't Gabriel Agreste, he had to work jobs. Internet jobs. Jobs ranging from freelance programming to a sex line that he was  _definitely_ not getting paid enough for. Luckily, he was going to come into money soon. Especially if Adrien Agreste died.

He smirked into his glass and tipped the whole thing back. It was going to go well for him one day. He could just feel it.

* * *

Things were getting rough within the fashion industry. Just because there was an abundance of professional models and unprofessional models didn't mean any of them were prepared to replace Adrien Agreste. Especially since Adrian was such a young model. Older models, in their twenties and thirties could easily be replaced. But a model that was only in their teens and had such a strong fan base? Much harder to find a replace. 

People were getting nervous. Deadlines needed to be met and magazines needed to be printed but much of it was practically on standstill. Not for lack of trying. Directors used other young models and got photo spreads that would work well enough. Fashion designers just went ahead designing in hopes that Adrien would be back in time for winter and/or the spring lines. But they couldn't _officially_ do anything without Gabriel Agreste's approval. He was such a huge figure in the fashion world that even other top line designers were wary to tell people to go ahead without his input.

And Gabriel wasn't giving any input.

It was quite a shock to many in the industry with the exception of those who knew him for a long time. And that was limited to a small list of photographers and the cleaning crew. Those few people knew just how affected Gabriel was by his wife's disappearance/death (after all, one could only hope she wasn't dead after so much time). They saw how Gabriel threw himself into work to ignore the missing woman and how cold he was towards his son, all in hopes that Adrien wouldn't break his heart. 

The cleaning crew saw even more. Saw how after hours Gabriel would start to drink and how broken down he would be while looking at half-drawn designs he had started for his wife. Saw how he would talk to anyone about everything his son did as soon as he had downed his first bottle of liquor. He was so proud of his son but so heart broken by the very distance he had created. It was both ironic and pitiful.

So when Gabriel Agreste, fashion designer extraordinaire, stop replying or even acknowledging anything from anyone some people weren't surprised. They just felt for the man. The others, they were a mixture of human sympathy and industry frustration. Many wanted to force him back in. Who cares that the man is finally showing emotion after remaining so cold and unattainable? They had deadlines to meet, people to please, and jobs to keep. 

So while Paris wasn't falling apart from the lack of Chat Noir, the fashion industry was falling apart from lack of Adrien Agreste. And Gabriel couldn't care less. He just wanted his son to wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow sorry. I have no clue what I just wrote. I'm so sorry. The story will be back in some tangible plot but just. I don't know. Stick with me pls.


	7. Tortue Blindée (Armoured Turtle)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug meets our new superhero.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This would have been out way earlier if I didn't get distracted by the wiki page.

Ladybug was doing more patrols. Instead of twice a week, the superhero could be seen swinging all over Parise nearly every night of the week. Chat Noir was never seen after Dream Catcher. It had been nearly a month since that fateful day. A few doctors knew why Chat Noir was suddenly a hermit. He was currently laid up in a bed. No change. Occasional seizures and rare spikes of brain activity the only indicator of a chance of recovery. Not that these doctors would tell anybody, especially since Ladybug threatened them. 

There had been akumas. Nothing too large and Ladybug took them down with ease. The only people that noticed a change was Alya and Nino. Alya saw Ladybug's aggressive maneuvers and unrestricted assaults. Ladybug was lashing out in grief and anger and it broke Alya's heart. But she couldn't change anything, she didn't know what was wrong with Chat but it was obviously affecting Ladybug's mental health. Nino noticed only because Wayzz pointed it out to him in the first akuma attack after Dream Catcher. "Nino, that is not how Ladybug should fight. She is putting too much aggression and recklessness into her attacks. That's not healthy; for her or her kwami."

"What am I supposed to do about it? We went and saw Master Fu but all he did was give me your bed and other stuff. Nothing really helpful there dude." Nino replied.

"Transform. You haven't transformed since that first night and that is very detrimental to your skills." Wayzz said with a huff and then disappeared under Nino's hat before Alya turned around.

That was almost a week ago and Nino hadn't transformed. Needless to say, Wayzz was a little peeved. The two had arguments everywhere that wasn't Adrien's hospital room, the hospital, or Alya's house. The more they argued the more Nino got scared of transforming. What if he tried to and it didn't work because suddenly he wasn't the chosen for Wayzz? He didn't want to fail at being a superhero before he even got a chance to try it out. He didn't voice these things to Wayzz. He didn't really know the green kwami and he didn't really care to find out more. 

Unfortunately, Nino was forced to transform. It was clear that the current akuma attack was too much for Ladybug to handle alone, even with her new brutality. He quickly bounded up to Ladybug's side right as she appeared on the rooftops.

* * *

Ladybug immediately noticed the green-clad man landing beside her. "Who the hell are you?" She asked.

"I'm a new miraculous holder." The masked man replied, smiling a little nervously. She narrowed her eyes. That seemed too good to be true. Another superhero showing up just as an akuma was too strong to handle? Not very likely. And she said so.

The man frowned, obviously not likely Ladybug's doubt. "Look, I'm just here to help. My kwami told me I needed to help slash protect you and I'm planning on doing that." 

Ladybug warily nodded in acquiesce. "Fine but you're going to have to follow my directions. IF you are really a new holder then you're going to need all the pointer you can get."

The man nodded seriously. Ladybug took a moment to closer inspect his outfit. Instead of tight fitting leather or whatever strange fabric her own outfit was made of, the man's outfit looked more like medieval armour. He had heavy, dark green plating on his chest and back and lighter green chainmaille covered him from his shoulders almost to his knees. His legs were covered by yet more dark green plating that seemed to bend and conform unnaturally with the man's movements. His mask was more of a helmet; covering his head, his forehead and under his eyes. It was also dark green with a shell pattern making his head look like a turtle shell. He was obviously a more defensive miraculous because there was no way he could move exceptionally fast like her.....or Chat. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she began to lay out a plan with the turtle man.

The two moved into battle, her constantly shouting instructions while also trying to figure out exactly  _what_ the new superhero could do. It was apparent he didn't know either. There was little grace to his movements and he moved too hesitantly. She was happy to note, however, that he did seem to be telling the truth and he moved faster than she thought him capable of because of his armour. She tried her best to distract and defeat the akuma at the same time. She didn't want a newbie hurt but she also wanted the battle over. She didn't much feel like saving Paris these days. Their emotional turmoil had taken Chat from her and she didn't want to forgive them even if she knew it wasn't their fault, not really.

So she strategized and watched. Eventually she figured that the akuma must be in the akuma villain's ridiculous belt. "Hey newbie! Guard my right while I get the akuma." She shouted while also trying to be vague. She didn't want to give away her plan. The akuma villain naturally turned towards her as she ran forward and shot out her yo-yo.  It caught the akuma's belt loop and dragged them forward.

The other superhero, seriously she needed to find out his name, charged forward with a shoulder that had suddenly materialized plating and knocked the akuma off center. Impressed with the new ability Ladybug quickly took the advantage and snatched the belt. Breaking it and cleansing the butterfly took less than a minute. After she was done she turned to the akuma victim with the hopes of asking questions about Hawkmoth. However, the other superhero was already knelt down beside the befuddled person and quietly talking with them. Ladybug sighed and waited until the turtle man stood up and offered a  hand to the victim. The victim took it and shakily stood up. Ladybug tried to smile comfortingly but didn't feel like she quite achieved it. "He-hello Ladybug. This," and here the victim gestured towards the green superhero, "superhero told me that I was turned into an akuma villain. I'm sorry, it's just that I've been under so much pressure at work and of course Agreste won't work with any of us so we can't go forward with the rest of the fashion lines coming up. My boss just yelled at me one too many times. I'm sorry. Hawkmoth promised to make everything better. I-I don't know why I agreed but...I did." The woman looked down, ashamed.

Ladybug felt her heart melt a little at the woman's obvious regret and filed away the little information she said about Hawkmoth. "It's quite alright just try to keep a better handle on your emotions in the future." Ladybug cringed a little, that had come out harsher than she meant to be. She patted the woman's back and shot a glance to the rapidly approaching reporters. She hadn't used lucky charm so she had more time but she didn't feel like talking to any of them especially since she knew all they would ask would be about Chat Noir.

She shot her yo-yo to the nearest rooftop and motioned for the turtle superhero to follow. He did quickly and she took him to a hidden rooftop that she used-had used- for talking with Chat when they began or ended patrols. She sat down on the metal chairs she had once dragged from a dumpster up here. The green superhero followed and relaxed into the other chair. Ladybug noted that his outfit was much less armoured now and more resembled hard leather than metal plating. The chainmaille remained though. "Sooooo," He began awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "that was pretty cool. I'm glad you gave me a chance."

Ladybug sadly smiled, this superhero acted nothing like her Chat. Instead of confidence or pick-up lines or even terrible puns, there was awkwardness and a severe case of self-doubt. "What's your name?" She asked, "I've been mentally calling you turtle man but I doubt that's what you want to be called."

The superhero laughed. "Oh man, that's hilarious. Turtle man! Can you imagine the merch? Or the headlines? Oh god they would be terrible. But if I had to choose... I kind of like Tortue Blindée. Sounds sort of powerful."

Ladybug nodded in agreement. Turtle-Tortue Blindée- seemed pretty nice. He would probably get along with Chat. He almost reminded her of someone but she couldn't place it. She also knew, meaning Tikki explained, that there was magic in place to keep miraculous holders from guessing the identities of the others unless they were told or saw the other transform. "Well, Tortue Blindée it was nice working with you but I have to go. I need to check up on someone special. I'll call you if I need your help. DON'T try to defeat akumas unless I'm with you. We don't know your powers and I really don't want to lose another partner." 

She stood up and shot off the rooftop leaving behind the green silhouette of someone she barely knew but had to trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if it's chainmail or chainmail or chainmaille because i tried to look it up and I've got nothing.  
> Also, for Tortue blindée's helmet (I feel I didn't give the description justice) think of something along the line of Captain America's helmet without a strap or anything.  
> And I used google translate so if anyone actually knows french let me know if his name makes no sense.


	8. The Waiting Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's ur favourite boi Adrien (surpise!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry but i've been distracted and then I got super sun-burnt and everything hurt.

Things were a bit less black in Adrien's mind. That was not to say, that things were less bleak; Adrien was still alone and he couldn't find his mother, but he did have a broader scope of what space he was in. And it had taken  _forever_ for him to do so. Every couple of yards of walking he would have to stop and rest. It was a bit like a videogame where you could only move so much until your character got tired.....Adrien is not a nerd. He swears. Anyways, he would move, rest, move again, rest again, and so forth until he would hit a wall. Not a visible wall, just a space that he couldn't walk any farther and the light stopped and bounced off into his eyes. It actually was quite blinding for the boy, especially since becoming Chat his eyesight was more sensitive to abrupt changes in light.

He cursed every time the light bounced off but was secretly relieved that he was not in a vast expanse of darkness. It was quite comforting to be in an enclosed, square-shaped area; he preferred to be in more closed in spaces in contrast to his home's vast emptiness. However, Adrien was in no mood to contemplate his depressing life (in actuality only sometimes his life could be considered depressing but he was a teenager and he was a model and so he was very emotional). He was trying to either: A) find a way out of whatever place he was in, or B) find his mother again or at least the mirage of her. And he wasn't really too sure of how to go about doing either of those things. Adrien was not a master strategist; he was better at rushing in, playing the fool, distracting the problem until the real power came and ended it all. It was an obvious thing when Chat and Ladybug fought akumas but he did it subtly in his daily life too. Running to school instead of finding a way to get there covertly. Not really standing up to Chloe but distracting her from really going after others. Little things like that. But here he was, alone, and having to figure things out completely and utterly alone. Oh god he was totally going to freak out and fail and be stuck here forever and he would never see his Lady again and Nino would be so alone and his father would lose another family member and-

No. He would be fine. He could do this. He wasn't dumb. He could strategize just as well as anyone! Everything was going to be purrrrrrfectly fine. He hoped.

He tried to think things through, step by step. First, he and Ladybug were fighting an akuma before he got stuck here. Second, the akuma's power was making people see their worst nightmare. Third, he had gotten hit and had seen Ladybug die. Fourth, he had gotten hit multiple times because every couple of minutes or so he would get hit, see ladybug die, and then get hit again and would show up in a slightly different position a second later. Fifth......yeah that's all he's really got. Well, on to a different strategy!

Plagg isn't here with him so he's either still dressed as Chat Noir outside of...wherever he is or Plagg has left him to go get help. Ladybug would most likely  _not_ let him be killed so he's still alive and this isn't the afterlife. He saw his mom here so either she's trapped like him or he's going crazy. Oh god, if this isn't the afterlife and he's not dead that means he's in a hospital somewhere. Which means his father is probably freaking out about all the photo-shoots and fencing and lessons he's missing out on and the doctors probably have managed to get his suit off and that means they know his identity. Ladybug probably knows it too by now and probably hates him because he'll never measure up to her purfection either as Adrien or Chat. And what about the akumas?! Ladybug wouldn't have trouble with small ones but what about ones that would be too much? Surely she can't be fighting them on her own. God, he needs to get out of this dark space before he totally loses it. He's already lost track of how long he's been in here but at least he hasn't died from hunger or thirst or lack of bathrooms. So hooray for small victories!

Adrien sits down on the floor of the 'room'; it's cool concrete, like the kind you would find in a garage or maybe a warehouse (depending on what type of warehouse). "At least it isn't cold," Adrien muses out-loud. In fact, the room is quite pleasant not too hot or cold while also maintaining a nice feeling of dread. Perfect for keeping prisoners from lashing out. Yeah, he really needs to get out of here soon.

**_***A week later (or about the time Nino finally transforms and helps Ladybug out)*** who needs time **consistencies** not me that's for sure_ **

Adrien is getting a little more than restless. There's literally nothing to do other than stare at the vague black-grey darkness or sleep or do sit-ups. And Adrien really only likes to sleep. He actually is starting to miss all the fairly random lessons his father puts him through and how hectic it makes his schedule. It is fairly boring to do nothing for this long; not that Adrien can actually tell how long it's been. So he's just lying on the floor thinking about Ladybug and who she might be under the mask when he hears the first sound besides himself since he's been here. 

_Tap, tap, tap._

The sound is almost comforting, reminding him of his mother in heels. But it's not comforting because she's gone and he hasn't seen her in almost 2 years. He sits up and turns his head towards the sound. A dark shadow is blotting out what little light Adrien has. Shaped vaguely like a human but far too nonhuman in it's movements scare Adrien far too much for a kid that can turn into a cat full of destruction. Even so, he still edges slowly towards it. Something new is better than nothing at all. 

As he draws closer towards the sound, it doesn't get louder but just increases in tempo.  _Tap tap tap tap tap tap._

The shape is blocking out more light.  _Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptap._

He's starting to feel even more unnerved. This is not natural. This is not  _safe_.  _Tataptataptataptatap._

Adrien is now standing in complete darkness directly in front of the-the  _Thing_. He reaches out an unsteady hand; just to touch. Just to  _feel_ something that wasn't mild concrete or his own body. His hand is enveloped in a dark mist. The only way he can even tell it's a dark mist is he suddenly can't see his pale skin and his hand feels damp. He tried to pull out quickly. The mist keeps hold of his hand and starts to pull his arm in.

Letting out a startled squeak, Adrien tugs back harder. The mist reluctantly lets go. Adrien sighs in relief but quickly backs away, wary. As he backs away nothing changes, the tapping remains the same tempo and the light remains blocked. Adrien is just moving backwards and starting to panic. 

"H-h-hey...." Adrien starts and then falter off. The mist doesn't respond. It's mist, it can't talk.

"Alright then, so my name is Adrien Agreste and I'm not really sure what or who you are but _pleasedon'thurtme_."

Again the mist doesn't respond because again, it's mist and it doesn't posses the ability to talk. The mist also doesn't move closer or further away. It remains stagnant and unchanging and Adrien slowly relaxes. He figures that as long as he doesn't try to touch it, it will leave him alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i checked out the wikia again and like the age for adrien and marinette literally says 13-15 so I'm gonna go up to 15 and since I said that Adrien hasn't seen his mom in like 2 years that's gonna make him sixteen and I'll fite anyone.


	9. Class Woes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is tired, Tortue makes an appearance, and Hawkmoth exists solely to make Marinette's life hard.

Marinette rushed to class, late. She skidded to a stop outside the door and sheepishly walked inside. Miss Bustier sighs and just points for Marinette to sit down. She does quickly, sliding next to Alya who smiles and winks. "Up all night?" She asks as soon as the teacher's back is turned.

"Yes," Marinette moans into her hands. "I was up all night trying to finish my homework. Why do we have to take any science at all??" Alya laughs. "Girl, sometimes you just gotta deal with stuff you don't like. Like Nino."

Nino gives a dramatic gasp of surprise. "But babe, I thought you loved me!" 

"Doesn't mean dealing with you is easy." But she leans forward to give him a quick kiss on the cheek in apology anyways. Marinette smiles at their behaviour and takes a look around her. The class seems to be paying attention to the lesson but Marinette knows her classmates. Nathaniel and Rose are subtly working together in the back to design and create a card for Adrien, Kim and Max are passing notes, Chloe is looking dead-eyed at a magazine staring at a picture of a model on the cover. Marinette realizes with a jolt that Adrien was supposed to be the model on that cover. 

Chloe has been really quiet and withdrawn since Adrien's hospitalization and while Marinette may not like Chloe, she can't help but feel for the other teen. They both love Adrien, whether or not in the same way is yet to be determined. Honestly over the first week or two of Adrien's absence, Marinette was surprised by Chloe's dramatic change in behaviour. While it was hard to not notice Chloe's rather outlandish brand of 'love', Marinette had always doubted that Chloe ever felt anything for Adrien and just wanted him for his fame and fortune. Apparently Chloe at least cared for Adrien. She had cried when Adrien was hospitalized and it was rather a shock to the class. There were no dramatics, no loud cried or sobs; there was only tear tracks running down Chloe's face messing up her makeup but she didn't appear to care. No one mentioned it at the time and no one mentioned it now. While Chloe was much quieter, it didn't mean she was any nicer. Just a more subdued cruelty.

Marinette looked away from Chloe when Sabrina shot a look at her. She tried to focus on the class at hand and was relieved that it was something she already knew and understood. She could drift off just for a little while, couldn't she?

* * *

Apparently, she couldn't. Ten minutes into her first nap since nearly thirty two hours ago, she was shocked into full alert by a rumble through the school. She jerked her head up and tried to think up a good excuse to leave when she was stopped by another rumble, this one rattling the windows. Miss Bustier tells the class to please leave the room as quickly but safely as possible and Marinette runs gratefully through the door and hides behind the nearest empty corner. "Tikki, spots on!" She says, and the transformation starts.She doesn't notice that at another corner a different voice panically whisper, "Wayzz, shell on!" and a shot of green light follow shortly behind.

Ladybug runs out and tries to find where the shaking is coming from. She's not sure if it's an akuma or something else but she's got to find it fast. She runs down the various hallways, trying to pinpoint the rumbling but it seems to be coming from all around. "Ugh, this isn't working. I've gotta find Tortue before people get hurt." She talks to herself as she makes her way out of the school and onto the front steps. She draws up short.

Five large men, all obviously akumatized and very angry, are shaking the building and various buildings nearby. It's almost comedic to look at, five large men no matter how large they might be shouldn't be able to even make the buildings move a millimeter yet here they are, trying to just that. The problem is that they are moving the buildings and the mayor doesn't particularly like spending money on superhero fight damages. Her lucky charm fixes the big stuff but not everything. She stifles a groan and hurls her yo-yo out to hit on of the closest men. He turns. He glares. And then he charges with a yell.

Ladybug flits from wall to wall to ground to roof with untiring speed; at least that's what it looks like to bystanders. Ladybug herself, or more importantly Marinette, is quickly tiring from the battle as her lack of sleep catches up to her. She swings and barely misses Large Man 3 but hits Large Man 5. He goes down with a crash and stays down. It's been nearly an hour and she's only managed to take out Large Man 1 and Large Man 5. The other three are still going strong. Large Man 3 swings at her with a heavy but fast fist before she can vault away to a safe distance. Just before it collides with her stomach for a second time, its path is redirected into the shoulder of Tortue. "Sorry 'bout that dude but can't have you hittin' on my fam." He says before launching a heavy hit on the akuma before grabbing Ladybug's arm and hauling her away.

"What took you so long?" Ladybug asked, panting a little.

"I transformed nearly an hour ago but I got caught up trying to protect people from falling blocks. It was harder than I thought." Tortue said sheepishly. Ladybug immediately felt bad. Here she was, berating a practical newbie for being late when he was helping people she didn't spare a thought about.

She rested a hand on his shoulder, "It's alright, I'm not mad just a little tired."

He looked up from staring at his shoes, his eyes scrutinizing her face. "Yeah, you seem a bit exhausted. You sure you okay?"

"I'm fine, let's just get this battle over. I want you to take out the two trying to shake the buildings down while I got after the one that keeps trying to actively kill me." Ladybug sighed before rushing after Large Man 3.

The battle was over not too long after that. They found the akuma in Large Man 3's hair as a hair clip from his daughter. All five men came back to their senses and apologized profusely for causing trouble. When Ladybug inquired why all five of them had been akumatized but only had one akuma, they shrugged but said that Hawkmoth seemed distressed, almost frantic for them to attack Ladybug. "He didn't even ask us for anything, just told us to attack various buildings until you came. Said he would tell us what to do after that but when you came it was like he wasn't there anymore. We still had the orders to attack buildings so that's what we did." Large Man 3, whose name was Viktor, said before walking off to intercept the reporters of his own accord. The four other men followed behind him.

"What weird group am I right?" Tortue whispered to Ladybug just before his bracelet beeped. He had used the bubble at the very end of the battle so he still had time but he didn't want to cut it close. He wasn't too adept at finding places to de-transform. "Oh crap I gotta go. Runnin' out is a pain am I right?" He called before running and jumping onto a ledge before jumping onto the roof.

Ladybug distractedly called a good-bye, she was still trying to process the information she just received. Hawkmoth not giving explicit instructions? Ignoring his villains in the middle of things? Something had to have happened with his civilian self to make him leave. If only she could find a way to find out who had a crises during the exact moment she showed up, her duo life would be so much easier. She sighed before vaulting away from the reporters and back into the school. She slipped into the empty bathroom and untransformed. Tikki fell heavily into her palms. She was exhausted because of Marinette's exhaustion and Marinette didn't have any cookies. Tikki would just have to sleep it off this time until she got back to the bakery after school. 

Marinette cautiously ventured out of the bathroom while slipping Tikki into her purse. No one was around but Nino who had just entered. "Hey Nino!" She called, waving to her friend. He waved back and walked over.

"Hey, you have any tea leaves by any chance?" Nino asked.

* * *

Hawkmoth glared out of his giant window, of course one of his 'clientele' had called in the middle of an attack. He was trying to get absolute power here! He didn't have time for horny men and women that were so lonely they called a sex line of all things. Just go on Tindr, it isn't that hard. Nooroo was anxiously hovering around somewhere downstairs and while Hawkmoth was being portrayed as a 'villain', which was fair he had to admit he was coming off rather 'evil', he didn't want Nooroo to hate him. It's just that Nooroo was so annoying and nothing like his mother promised Nooroo would be. 

Hawkmoth sighed. His mother. Where was she? He knew his brother and father didn't know or else he would have confronted them by now. No, she was gone and all that was left behind was stupid Nooroo and some memories. If he could just get his hand on Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses it would be so much easier. Also, he wouldn't have to work the terrible jobs he had now so that was a nice perk.

Hawkmoth turned away from the window and as it closed the butterflies calmed and flitted towards the floor. They just kept coming back to him. At least he didn't have to feed them, food for him and Nooroo was already expensive enough. Nooroo was  _picky_. And what he did to the akuma's outfits! Horrendous. His father would be so disappointed in him. Oh wait, he already was. Didn't matter though, he was going to get his mother back and he was going to get some cool powers while he was at it. Even if he had to work for years to achieve it.


End file.
